1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to water-based special effects and ornamental water fountains, and, more particularly, to a water fountain that combines the generation of fog or mist with illumination of captured portions of the fog to achieve desired effects.
2. Relevant Background
Water features or attractions continue to be popular for use in both small and large bodies of water. Homeowners often desire a water feature in their yards that may include a pond with running water and a fountain. Further, it is often desirable to include lighting and, in some cases, to create displays such as with fountains, lighting, and music that may be synchronized to operate in patterns. To be widely adopted by homeowners, the water feature and added special effects such as lighting and fountains generally need to be relatively easy to install and maintain as well as being inexpensive.
Much larger effects and water features are often provided in amusement parks and on hotel or resort properties. For example, many hotels now include large pools or ponds with fountains that are designed to entertain their guests and not just with waterfalls or other running water effects. One spectacular example is the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, Nev., which provides a fountain attraction that includes an elaborate and massive musical fountain display with lights striking the fountains and sprays of water and with the fountains and lights being choreographed carefully to music. This extreme example costs millions of dollars to build and uses underwater pipes with over 1200 nozzles that often blast the water high in the air and also uses over 4500 lights to stage its fountain displays. Costs are not as important to creators of these larger effects and water features, but there is demand for new and interesting effects or illusions.
There are many other settings where ornamental water fountains and water special effects or attractions may be implemented. Water fountains may be used indoors and outdoors at theaters, shopping malls, city parks, museums, golf courses, and amusement parks. These fountains are often made aesthetically pleasing by configuring the water into particular patterns such as by design of the nozzles. Lighting may be used to create visually pleasing and entertaining programs, but lighting effects are only used or effective at night for illuminating water display patterns such as with lights of one or more colors. In these settings, the property owners generally require that the fountain system be relatively inexpensive to purchase and install and also have low maintenance requirements.
Despite the substantial effort by fountain designers, there remains a continuing demand for novel fountain designs. Preferably, such fountain designs will provide unique effects and/or ornamentation while addressing at least some of the issues involving cost and maintenance.